Attention all high school students: you can ride the Topeka Metro fixed route buses at no cost this school year! In order to ride for free, students MUST have a 2026-27 photo student ID when boarding. If you do not have a current student photo ID, you must pay the youth fare of $1.50.

The Kids Ride FREE! promotion is in effect through August 31, 2026. After that, high school students must have a valid school year photo ID to ride. This promotion is for high school students only, not middle or elementary school, although they can ride if they pay the youth fare. 

Students can ride during all Topeka Metro operating hours. This provides transportion for not just school, but to work, shopping or going to a friend or family's house (within the city limits). Students can also ride the paratransit if they are eligible--check out more information on that at https://www.topekametro.org/paratransit-service-the-lift. 

If you have questions regarding where to find the nearest bus stop or how to get to Quincy Street Station, call our Customer Service at (785) 783-7000, and they will be happy to assist you. We hope to see you on the bus this school year! 

TOPEKA, Kan. (Tuesday, July 14, 2026) -- Topeka Metro will launch its Brake for Buses safety campaign on Tuesday, July 14, reminding motorists to give public transit buses the space they need to operate safely. The campaign emphasizes safe driving around buses while they are turning, making frequent stops, and merging back into traffic from bus stops.

The campaign comes as Topeka Metro bus operators continue to experience hundreds of dangerous close calls each year. In 2025, Topeka Metro bus operators reported 280 near-miss incidents while driving, including:

• Twenty-three percent reported vehicles turning left in front of a bus at intersections.
• Twenty-one percent reported vehicles nearly sideswiping a bus or abruptly pulling in front of one while traveling in the same direction.
• Eighteen percent reported vehicles running a red light or stop sign.
• Eighteen percent reported vehicles pulling alongside or in front of a bus as it was leaving a bus stop.
• Eleven percent reported vehicles pulling from side streets or parking lots directly into the path of the bus.

What many drivers may not know is that a fixed-route bus traveling 40 mph requires approximately 250 feet to stop under ideal conditions, including driver reaction time—more than twice the 120 feet typically needed for a passenger vehicle.

"Every time one of our operators gets behind the wheel, they're responsible for the safety of dozens of passengers while navigating traffic that can change in an instant," said Bob Nugent, General Manager of Topeka Metro. "The Brake for Buses campaign is about reminding everyone that a little more patience and a little more space can prevent crashes and save lives. Safety is a shared responsibility."

Topeka Metro encourages drivers to slow down, expect frequent bus stops, watch for passengers crossing the street, and allow buses enough room to safely merge back into traffic. Passing a bus on the left should only be done when the lane is clear and there are no bus passengers walking in a crosswalk or one hundred feet of an intersection.

A bus stop lasts only a few moments, but one unsafe decision can have lifelong consequences.

Slow down. Watch for passengers. Brake for Buses.

ATTENTION #4 CALIFORNIA BUS PASSENGERS: The California Bridge detour is causing the #4 California route frequent & significant delays. Starting on Monday, July 6, 2026, the California will be modified to facilitate better travel times. If you need to take this route and you need to be somewhere on time, you may need to take an earlier route so you won't be late. 

The area known as the "Highland Loop," (25th & Golden, 25th & Highland Park High School, Community Action Head Start & the Gil Carter Center) will NOT be served during this route modification. Instead, the route will travel back and forth through Walmart East. 

Click the link for the map with the numbered stops.

In observance of the federal Independence Day holiday, Topeka Metro will operate Saturday service hours on Friday, July 3, 2026.

Regular fixed-route bus service and Lift service will operate from 8:15 a.m. to 6:40 p.m.

Please note the following holiday service changes:

• Topeka Metro Customer Service will be closed on Friday, July 3.
  
  
• Lift passengers who normally travel to Capper Foundation and TARC should be aware that both facilities will be closed on Friday, July 3. Riders are encouraged to make alternate plans as needed.

Topeka Metro will be closed on Saturday, July 4th for the Independence holiday. Administrative offices will be closed and no buses will operate that day. 

For additional service information, please contact Topeka Metro before the holiday at (785) 783-7000 or www.topekametro.org.

TOPEKA, KS (April 15, 2026) -- Kids Ride FREE is back!

Starting Friday, May 1 through Monday, August 31, youth ages 18 and under can ride Topeka Metro fixed-route buses at no cost—all summer long! (That’s 13 years of free rides and counting!)

Children under 5 must ride with an adult, family member, or babysitter, and teens may be asked to show proof of age when boarding.

From summer school and jobs to pools, libraries, movies, malls, and hanging out with friends—getting around town is safe, easy, and reliable with Topeka Metro.

Hop on and enjoy the ride—we’ll see you this summer!